Nexen Being Charged for 2015 Pipeline Spill

Nexen is being charged for a pipeline spill at the company’s Long Lake facility.

The Alberta Energy Regulator is laying five different charges, under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and the Public Lands Act, for the spill that happened in 2015 at their facility around 36 km southeast of Fort McMurray.

“AER staff responded immediately to the pipeline spill,” said Martin Foy, vice president of Environment and Operational Performance, in a release. “Since then we’ve been gathering and reviewing the evidence to determine the cause of this incident and whether the company complied with AER requirements.”

The company reported the spill released around 5,000 cubic metres of emulsion, a mixture of crude bitumen and produced water, affecting an area of about 21,900 square metres.

“Producing oil or gas in Alberta comes with a responsibility to follow all requirements to protect the public and environment,” added AER president and CEO Jim Ellis, in the release. “When we believe that the rules are not followed, we have a variety of tools, including laying charges that we can and do use in an attempt to ensure that potential offenders are held accountable.”

Nexen will have its first court appearance in a Fort McMurray courtroom on August 16, 2017.